History

Medal for the 300th anniversary of naval infantry issued by the
Department of Defence in 2005.

The history of Russia's naval infantry began in November 1705
when, pursuant to a decree of Peter I, was formed a regiment of
naval equipage (Russian: морской экипаж) for boarding, landing and
marching service on the ships of the Baltic Fleet. Since that time, the naval
infantry had a long and glorious part in the Military history of
the Russian Empire. The Russian naval infantry won victories
over the enemy in the Gangut sea battle of 1714, during the
rout of the Turkish
Navy in Cesme Harbor in 1770, and in taking the Ismail fortress on the Danube in 1790.

Advertisements

Napoleonic
Wars

Naval infantry's combat record in the Napoleonic Wars begun with the taking
of the French fortress of Corfu
in the Ionian Sea in
1799. Within three weeks in that same year a Russian naval infantry
landing force took Naples by storm and shortly thereafter entered
Rome.

The Crimean
War

In 1854-1855 the naval infantrymen defended Sevastopol from the
Anglo-French and Turkish troops

Russo-Japanese War of
1904

In 1904 naval infantrymen defended Port Arthur from the
Japanese troops.

Second World
War

During the years of World War II about 350,000 Red Navy
sailors fought on land in the many 650 man naval infantry
battalions, six naval infantry regiments (purpose raised with two
battalions each) and 40 naval infantry brigades (each with 5-10 battalions using
surplus ship's crews), plus numerous smaller units. Five of the
brigades were awarded the Guards designation. The NI conducted over
114 landings with most being by platoons and companies, the rest
fought as regular foot infantry without any amphibious training.
The NI conducted four operations which involved a large number of
troops: two were conducted on the Kerch peninsula, one was conducted at Novorossiysk and the
other was conducted at Moon Sound in the Baltic. The Soviet
experience in amphibious warfare in World War II
contributed to the development of Soviet operational art in
combined arms operations. Many elements in the SNI were parachute
trained and the SNI conducted more drops and successful parachute
operations than the VDV. In the
beginning of the war the Red Navy had only one brigade of marines in
the Baltic fleet, but with the start of the war began forming and
training of brigades, battalions and brigades. The military
situation demanded the dispatch of large numbers of Marines on the
land fronts, so the NI contributed to the defense of Moscow,
Leningrad, Odessa, Sevastopol, Stalingrad, Novorossiisk, Kerch.
During the fighting 5 brigades and two battalion of were awarded
Guards status, 9 brigades and six battalions were awarded Orders,
and many were awarded vacant honorary titles. 122 Naval Infantrymen
were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Post-War and the Cold
War

Soviet Naval Infantrymen in 1985.

Soviet Naval Infantrymen during a demonstration in 1990.

The Naval Infantry was disbanded in 1947 with some units being
transferred to the Coastal Defence Force. In 1961 the naval
infantry was reformed and became a combat arm of the Soviet Naval Forces. Each Fleet was
assigned a NI unit of regimental and later brigade size. In 1989
the naval infantry numbered 18,000 troops organised into the 55th
Naval Infantry Division at Vladivostok and three naval infantry
brigades: the 63rd Guard Kirkenneskaya at Pechenga (Northern Fleet), 36th Guards at Baltiysk (Baltic Fleet), and
Sevastopol (Black Sea
Fleet). Naval Infantry had its own amphibious versions of standard
armoured vehicles, and tanks used by the Ground Forces.

By the end of the Cold War the Soviet Naval forces had over
eighty landing ships as well as two Ivan
Rogov-class amphibious assault docks. The latter were
assault ships that could transport one infantry battalion with
forty armoured vehicles and their amphibious landing craft (However
that has now been reduced to one). At seventy five units, the Soviet Union had the
world's largest inventory of combat air-cushion assault craft. In addition, many
of the Soviet merchant fleet's (Morflot [1]) 2,500 ocean-going ships could off-load
weapons and supplies in an amphibious
landing.

On November 18, 1990, on the eve of the Paris Summit where the
Conventional
Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and the Vienna Document on Confidence and
Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) were signed, Soviet data were
presented under the so-called initial data exchange. This showed a
rather sudden emergence of three so-called coastal defence
divisions (including the 3rd at Klaipeda in the Baltic Military District, the
126th in the Odessa Military District and
possibly the 77th with the Northern Fleet), along with three
artillery brigades/regiments, subordinate to the Soviet Navy, which
had previously been unknown as such to NATO.[1] Much of
the equipment, which was commonly understood to be treaty limited
(TLE) was declared to be part of the naval infantry. The Soviet
argument was that the CFE excluded all naval forces, including its
permanently land-based components. The Soviet Government eventually
became convinced that its position could not be maintained. A
statement by the Soviet Union (later adopted by its successor
states) enacted on July 14, 1991 provided that all treaty-limited
equipment (tanks, artillery, and armoured
combat vehicles) assigned to naval infantry or coastal defence
forces count against the total treaty entitlement.

Sputnik, is the Arctic main base of the Northern Fleet
naval infantry.

Exercise Cooperation from the Sea was conducted in support of
the American III Marine Expeditionary
Force engagement plan, and to foster a closer relationship
between the Russian Naval Infantry and the United States Marine Corps.
The III Marine Expeditionary Force Marines from Okinawa and Russian naval
forces participated in "Cooperation From the Sea 1994," which took
place in and around Vladivostok, Russia. United States Marines and Russian Naval
Infantry conducted their first combined training exercise on US
soil, in Hawaii, from August
27 to 31, 1995. Russia Navy anti-submarine destroyers Admiral Panteleyev (DDG 548),
Vladimir Kolechitsky (AOR) and a Ropucha Classtank landing ship (LST 11) steamed into Pearl Harbor on
August 27, 1995. With units of the Russian Federation Naval
Infantry aboard, they came to train with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps
forces.

The exercise, "Cooperation From the Sea 1995," was a maritime
disaster relief exercise. It included cross training and personnel
exchanges, and culminated in a combined amphibious landing of US
Marines and Russian Naval Infantry. The purpose of the exercise was
to improve interoperability with Russian military forces in
conducting disaster relief missions and to promote cooperation and
understanding between US and Russian service members. The general
operating area of the exercise was off Oahu's northeastern coast, near MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe
Bay. The amphibious landing took place at Bellows Air Force Station on
Waimanalo Bay. This exercise marked the
second time that US and Russian forces have participated in this
type of operation. The Russian military units remained in Hawaii
after the exercise to participate in the 50th anniversary
commemoration of VJ Day, September 1-3, 1995.

Amongst the Caspian Flotilla's units from 2000
onwards has been a new naval infantry brigade, the 77th, based at
Kaspiysk. The headquarters
and two battalions of the brigade were scheduled to be established
by August 1, 2000.[2] It was
reported by Agenstvo Voyenniykh Novostyei (AVN) [2][3] in June 2000 that the new brigade, which may
have inherited the lineage of the 77th Motor Rifle Division,[3]
previously identified as disbanded, was to have its troops housed
in Kaspiysk and Astrakhan, and have as many
as 195 combat vehicles and two air-cushion assault craft sent to it from Chukotka and the Northern Fleet,
respectively. The brigade was also to have helicopters assigned to
it according to a June 2000 report.

Mission

There is at least one naval infantry regiment attached to each
of the major Russian fleets. In total the Russian Naval Infantry
numbers 12,000 men and has very little organic firepower or
support, and if committed to combat it would require reinforcement
within less than a week. Russian military doctrine calls for the
naval infantry to be used as shock troops spearheading an assault that
would be followed up by ground forces.

Its primary wartime missions would be to seize and hold
strategic straits or islands and to make seaborne tactical landings
behind enemy lines as well as defending critical naval basing
areas. During the 1980s Soviet Naval Infantry exercises in the Kuril Islands north
of Japan indicated that the
intended target of Naval Infantry was the shores bordering various
chokepoints. In a conflict, these troops would most likely be sent
ashore to capture the Dardanelles or the Kattegat straits and then wait for rapid
reinforcement.

Moscow

Organization

A Naval Infantry Regiment, equipped with the PT-76 and BRDM-2, consists of 1 Tank Battalion and 3 Naval
Infantry Battalions, one motorised with BTR-60-series amphibious vehicles.

A Naval Infantry Brigade, equipped with the PT-76 or T-80 and BRDM-2, consists of 2 Tank
Battalions, and 4 to 5 Naval Infantry Battalions, one motorised
with BTR-60-series amphibious
vehicles. A tank battalion originally had 36 MBTs.

At least one infantry battalion is airborne trained, while all
of the remaining infantry battalions are trained to be able to
carry out air
assault missions.

Equipment

The Russian Naval Infantry have been gradually phasing out PT-76 amphibious tanks, but have
not yet received a large number of T-80s. A full-strength Naval Infantry Brigade may
have up to 70-80 Tanks. The APCs used by the Naval Infantry are
either BTR-80s (in Assault
Landing Battalions) or MT-LBs
(in Naval Infantry Battalions). While Naval Infantry units were
supposed to receive BMP-3 IFVs,
few have been delivered, and it is far from certain such re-arming
will take place. BMP-3s may equip one company per battalion.

According to Defense Ministry statement published by RIA Novosti
(November 27, 2009), "All units of Russia's naval infantry will be
fully equipped with advanced weaponry by 2015." Included in this
upgrade would be T-90 tanks, BMP-3 IFVs, 2S31 120mm
mortar/artillery tracks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, air
defense equipment and small arms.[4]

Sealift

Ivan Rogov amphibious assault ship.

The Alligator tank landing ship is a typical amphibious assault
ship. Propelled by diesel engines, this ship is relatively small,
displacing about 4500 tons. In 1978, the Soviets launched a new amphibious ship,
the Ivan Rogov. The advent of the Ivan
Rogov was taken in the West as an indication that the Soviet Navy
was planning to strengthen the power projection mission of Naval
Infantry. Twice the size of earlier ships, it can launch amphibious
vehicles from its open bow doors. It also carries helicopters.
Among the various small assault landing vehicles to launch from the
bow are hovercraft,
such as the Aist, which
can carry the naval infantry ashore at speeds of fifty knots.